Pickles and Vodka: a Mental Health Podcast

After accidentally skipping a week, we’re back to examine some uncomfortable truths—namely, how our physical health affects our mental health. Tangents include self-censorship and triggers, feeling left behind when friends recover, reverse seasonal depression, going plant-based for our eating disorders, cigarettes, and a WILD coincidence. Enjoy! Just a heads up, we talk about weight and appetite s...

As promised, we watched the banned Karen Carpenter biopic directed by Todd Haynes and reenacted with Barbies. Topics include eerie parallels between 1970s America and today, the cost of a “wholesome” image, why this is so effective as a horror movie, being unable to recall milestones due to illness, how the laxative industry is lying to us, and more. Plus, we listen to a voicemail from someone who...

Lauren shares the long-awaited conclusion of a cursed saga, and we process our conflicting emotions. From there, we pivot to the Ariana Grande eating disorder discourse and where we stand on…well, the entire fiasco. Tangents include mindfulness moments, tattoo metaphors, dirty soda, and how our body dysmorphia shows up. Enjoy! We’d love to hear from you! Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leav...

All hell breaks loose this week as we attempt to make sense of the state of our brains. Some questions we ask ourselves: * How crazy is too crazy when you’ve normalized crazy? * Why do we keep trying after decades of struggle? * What idealized versions of recovery are holding us back? Tangents include an adorable surprise, motorcycles, downers, creepy recovery voices, more motorcycles, and perform...

In this episode, we challenge internal binaries and make ourselves a little crazy. Tangents include mono, trusting your own autonomy, sexual abstinence, HBO’s Girls , and more eating disorder literature. Plus, Christina launches a new podcast and we find out which drugs Lauren purchases in bulk. Enjoy! We’d love to hear from you! Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at w...

This week’s low effort episode is brought to you by a listener voicemail, reality shows Christina knows nothing about, vaping, a band update from Lauren, Stardew Valley, and Beethoven. Enjoy! We’d love to hear from you! Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/picklesandvodka (first timers get a free sticker!*) * Subscribe to our Substack and never miss...

What would it take to normalize the “normal”? Tangents include Karen Carpenter, seasons of grief, letting go of your fantasy self, and Lord of the Rings. Enjoy! We’d love to hear from you! Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/picklesandvodka (first timers get a free sticker!*) * Subscribe to our Substack and never miss an episode: picklesandvodka.sub...

We share listener responses to the question “What do you blame yourself for?” and everyone is depressed by the end of the episode. Enjoy! We’d love to hear from you! Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/picklesandvodka (first timers get a free sticker!*) * Subscribe to our Substack and never miss an episode: picklesandvodka.substack.com * Watch our f...

We watched a 2003 eating disorder documentary and found that it surprised us in more ways than one. Topics include the role of family in both the eating disorder and recovery, whether traditional treatment even works, some scary numbers, Marya Hornbacher (again), and one of Lauren’s namesakes. Enjoy! References: * Visit the official PBS show page * Watch the full movie on YouTube (with bonus inter...

Showing up depressed is better than not showing up at all, right? Topics include criticism, maintaining hobbies while depressed, authority figures, reading, emotional hangovers, and the need to have others worry about you. We’d love to hear from you! Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/picklesandvodka (first timers get a free sticker!*) * Subscribe...

We catch each other up on the horrors and reflect on self-blame. Other topics include imposter syndrome, a board game metaphor, the end of an internet era, and which of us is Britney Spears. Enjoy! Content warning for suicidal ideation, weight (no numbers), and pet death. We’d love to hear from you! Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/picklesandvodk...

We share listener responses to the question “How would you like to stand up for yourself?” Topics include claiming creative space, balancing passions, pronouns, book reports, and the Lauren boom. Enjoy! We’d love to hear from you! Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/picklesandvodka (first timers get a free sticker!*) * Subscribe to our Substack and...

Almost two years to the day after we reviewed Inside Out , we watched the sequel and found out which of our predictions came true. (Spoiler: none of the characters went on psych meds.) Highlights of our conversation include gay romance, a Michigan joke, panic attacks in children’s movies, and the hockey of it all. Enjoy! Thoughts on the episode? Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a vo...

With Pico’s death date approaching and Christina dealing with an unexpected loss, we decided to talk about it with our friend Vikki, who recently lost two pets within months of each other. We end our uplifting discussion with handwritten MadLibs to take the edge off. Enjoy? Thoughts on the episode? Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/picklesandvodka...

This episode on memory loss brought to you by drugs, brain injuries, trauma, and special guest j’naii. Tangents include blackouts, dementia memes, harm reduction, stuttering, and times we should have died. Good times! Thoughts on the episode? Want to suggest a topic? Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/picklesandvodka (first timers get a free sticke...

Your two cohosts catch each other up on the good, the bad, and the minimized. Topics include body dysmorphia, couples therapy, withdrawal nightmares, and a smidgeon of denial. Enjoy! Thoughts on the episode? Want to suggest a topic? Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/picklesandvodka (first timers get a free sticker!*) * Subscribe to our Substack an...

Have we got an action-packed episode for you! Our guest Asteria walks us through her crazy life, from being married to a fundamentalist man and enduring Christian therapy to traveling around the world to coming out as queer and starting her own dance studio. Enjoy! You can find Asteria on Instagram as Asteria Atombomb . Thoughts on the episode? Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voi...

Christina is once again joined by their sister to discuss an important disability update. Digressions include cat fights, imposter syndrome, redefining what it means to show up, candy, and controversial astrology opinions. Enjoy! This is a companion to an episode we did in October: #217 Sorry, Sweet Jesus feat. Caroline Jumper . Thoughts on the episode? Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave...

We celebrate a recently departed friend in the cheesiest way possible. Thoughts on the episode? Want to suggest a topic? Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/picklesandvodka (first timers get a free sticker!*) * Subscribe to our Substack and never miss an episode: picklesandvodka.substack.com * Watch our faces on YouTube: youtube.com/@picklesandvodka...

This week we’re joined by Rachel, writer and editor of Open Secrets Magazine. Topics include ADHD, hoarding, losing a friend to an eating disorder, name changes, and risky blogging. Enjoy! You can find Rachel at Open Secrets Magazine and on Substack as Rachel Kramer Bussel . Thoughts on the episode? Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/picklesandvodk...

We bring reinforcements to answer a listener voice message. Digressions include being visibly disordered at work, snappy comebacks for nosy colleagues, people who refuse to listen, and a broken tailbone. We even try to therapize each other, with mixed results. Enjoy! Thanks to Mads for today’s voice message! Thoughts on the episode? Want to suggest a topic? Here’s how to join the conversation: * L...

Surprise! We’re finally releasing the bonus episode Lauren recorded while Christina was in the psych ward. Joining her is recurring guest Vikki, who brings a heavy topic to the table. Digressions include misfitted college majors, making up lies to be more popular, the crippling weight of being alone in the world, and…Taco. Enjoy! Thoughts on the episode? Want to suggest a topic? Here’s how to join...

Because we’re on the cutting edge of social media trends, we thought we’d discuss 2016 in all its complicated glory. On the way, Lauren bums out Christina and our pets find increasingly invasive ways to make themselves known. Enjoy! Thoughts on the episode? Want to suggest a topic? Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/picklesandvodka (first timers ge...

This one’s pretty self-exclamatory. Digressions include therapy homework, deeply engrained coping methods, cursed phone reminders, and last hurrahs. Plus, we tease a new segment and read a heartwarming review. Enjoy? Content warning for self-harm methods, restriction (no numbers), suicidal ideation, and substance abuse. Thoughts on the episode? Want to suggest a topic? Here’s how to join the conve...

We meet for the first time in the new year and come to the conclusion that nothing has changed…or has it? Topics include future telling, faking it, falling apart, and an accidental poop joke. Enjoy! Thoughts on the episode? Want to suggest a topic? Here’s how to join the conversation: * Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/picklesandvodka (first timers get a free sticker!*) * Subscribe to...